Planning Your Trip

So, you’ve decided to go on a cycling tour with Vélo Québec Voyages! The first step—if you haven’t already—is to choose your destination. Do you have a soft spot for France? We have plenty of itineraries to offer you. If you’d rather stay in Canada, no problem—we’ve got plenty of options to keep you pedaling!

Choosing a Destination

Whether you’ve been on several cycling trips or this is your very first one, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just a casual bike enthusiast, we have vacations that match your tastes, interests, budget, and the level of exertion you’re comfortable with. For us, choosing an itinerary should be based on three main criteria:

The destination: The most important thing is to choose a destination you want to explore! A cycling trip is certainly about the road and the effort, but above all, it’s about discovering new landscapes and cultural heritage with every kilometer, as well as the culinary delights that await you at the end of each day. Be sure to choose a destination whose culture, history, cuisine, and climate interest you!

The difficulty of the route: Cycling trips are accessible to everyone, but it’s important to choose a trip whose cycling difficulty matches both your preferences and your abilities. If you’re just starting out as a cycle tourist, it’s probably best for you to discover this way of traveling on a smooth, enjoyable route rather than tackling the Alps right off the bat!

Your travel goal: For some cycling tourists, the goal is to rack up the kilometers and recreate a cycling experience similar to the major professional tours. For others, the goal is more about enjoying life, immersed in the discovery of a region—or even a country—by traveling at a human scale day to day, taking the time to stop and enjoy the moment whenever the mood strikes. That’s why we offer several packages that can be tailored to your preferences and those of your group members. Free days, optional itineraries, extending your stay… anything is possible!

Each of our trips includes a difficulty rating from 1 to 6, which indicates the daily difficulty of the itinerary, allowing you to prepare for the toughest days—or even avoid them. Weather conditions (sun, rain, wind direction, temperature) and elevation can also affect the level of exertion required on any given day. To choose the tour that’s right for you, consult our advisors!

1	Easy, flat route: few challenges; 30 to 60 km.
2	A fairly easy route: includes a few small valleys; 40 to 70 km.
3	Moderate-difficulty route: hilly, sometimes mountainous; 50 to 80 km.
4	A fairly challenging route: hilly and mountainous, with relatively steep climbs; 50 to 90 km.
5	Difficult route: very hilly and mountainous, requiring significant and repeated effort; 60 to 110 km.
6	Very difficult route: requires constant effort, repeated climbs (mountain passes), and a high level of fitness; 70 to 165 km.

The listed price and mileage are provided for informational purposes only.

Get Ready for Your Trip

Once you’ve chosen and purchased your trip, it’s time to start planning! You’ll receive the GPX files for the route via email, which will allow you to review each day’s cycling route to identify major challenges, potential stops, bike shops, and other points of interest along the way.

With the itinerary in hand, you can also identify the cultural, historical, and natural sites you’d like to visit. This will allow you to choose which days to spend cycling and which days to rest, whenever possible. For tourists with diverse interests, we offer trips centered around stopover cities that allow you to take rest days as needed; the only mandatory cycling days are those that connect two stopover cities.

If you're bringing your own bike and need to fly, be sure to check out our page on how to pack a bike.

In any case, pack everything you need to ensure you can take care of yourself on the road: a tool kit, a few tire patches, energy bars, and clothing suitable for the climate of your trip. Also, identify any items or products that might be hard to find at your destination. For example, your favorite energy bars or gels, or even your preferred pain-relief cream for those days when your legs feel heavy from the day before!

COVID-19

Please be aware that detailed procedures are in place in the event that a customer exhibits symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19. If you have any questions, please contact the staff at the business you are visiting.

To stay up to date on the health measures and restrictions in effect at your destination, you can visit the Sherpa website, which is updated daily to provide the latest information on travel restrictions around the world.